Interferometer and position measuring device

ABSTRACT

An interferometer or an interference position measuring device is constituted so that a low coherency light source (multi-mode semiconductor layer) or a plurality of light sources with different wavelengths are used as a light source, a light flux is split into two light fluxes in a light transmitting member, one light flux (reference light flux) is emitted to a reference mirror fixed to an optical head, and the other light flux is emitted to an object to be measured which moves or displaces, the respective reflected light fluxes are multiplexed in the transmitting member so that an interference light flux is obtained, a specified wavelength light is extracted by a wavelength selecting filter through which only a specified wavelength light transmits so as to be detected by a light receiving element.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to an interference device and an interference position measuring device for detecting a position fluctuation of an object by means of non-contact. Particularly the invention is suitable for a micro interference displacement meter which achieves resolution and accuracy of submicron order by applying a light interfering phenomenon, a machine tool, an assembly adjusting device or the like utilizing the displacement meter.

[0003] 2. Related Background Art

[0004] An interference device which applies a laser is widely utilized as a length measuring device with high accuracy. Generally, such a device requires absolute accuracy and uses a gas laser with stable wavelength. Further, recently a device using a semiconductor laser which is characterized in a compactness and simplicity as a simple interference device.

[0005]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional interference device using a semiconductor laser as a light source. In FIG. 1, a laser light flux 20 emitted from a semiconductor laser 1 a is converted into a parallel light by a collimating lens 2 a so as to enter a polarized beam splitter 4 and is divided into a measurement light 20 a and a reference light 20 b. The measurement light 20 a transmits through a 1/4λ plate 5 b and is converted into a condensed light flux by a condenser lens 6 so as to be condensed on a reflecting surface 7 of an object to be measured 7 a. Meanwhile, the light flux reflected by the polarized beam splitter 4 transmits as the reference light 20 b through a 1/4λ plate 5 a and is reflected by a reference mirror (reference surface) 8. The light fluxes which are reflected by the object to be measured 7 a and the reference mirror 8, respectively, transmit again through the 1/4λ plates 5 a and 5 b, and the reference light 20 b transmits through the polarized beam splitter 4, and the measurement light 20 a is reflected to be a multiplexed light flux 21 and enter a 1/4λ plate 5 c. Since only polarization information of a return light of the measurement light 20 a in the multiplexed light flux 21 is modulated, the light flux which has transmitted through the 1/4λ plate 5 c becomes a linear polarized light which rotates. After that, the light flux enters a nonpolarized light beam splitter 10 so a to be divided into two light fluxes 24 a and 24 b. Thereafter, the light fluxes transmit through polarizing plates 11 a and 11 b, optical axes of which are tilted 45° each other, respectively, so that sine wave signals, phases of which are different 90° from each other (hereinafter, called as A phase signal and B phase signal) as shown in FIG. 2, are generated on sensors 12 a and 12 b. Since a polarizing direction of the light flux 20 a rotates due to displacement of the object to be measured 7 a in a direction of optical axis La, one cycle sine signals can be obtained at sensors 12 a and 12 b in λ/2 according to the displacement of the object to be measured 7 a.

[0006] The interference device shown in FIG. 1 is suitable for measuring a rotating axis or the like which is manufactured by mechanical working, for example. When a laser beam is emitted to a scattered portion of the reflecting surface 7 on the object to be measured 7 a, a speckle pattern, which is caused by coexisting of a light flux with various phases, is generated in a reflected light. The speckle pattern is a granular pattern of a light, but in the case where the speckle pattern is interfered with a reference light, since interference signals of the speckles have random phases, interference light signals on a sensor are averaged so as to be in a so-called dropout state. The A phase and B phase sine wave signals from the sensors 12 a and 12 b are calculated into a displacement of the object to be measured 7 a according to counted values obtained by counting A phase signal and B phase signal by means of a counter and phase information of the A and B phases. Namely, at the time of dropout, since a counter value which is necessary for calculation of displacement information is not updated, when the object to be measured 7 a displaces not less than a counter operating distance at the time signal is recovered, that displacement becomes an error. In the case where the object to be measured is a rotary object, dropout occurs on one portion every time, and since a motion of the axis is mainly axes deviation which synchronizes with the rotation, the axis shows approximately similar action at the time of dropout. Therefore, an error at the time of the dropout is accumulated in every cycle and displacement occurs infinitely. As mentioned above, the measurement of a rotary object has a problem that an error is accumulated infinitely.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] One object of the present invention is to provide an interference device which is capable of preventing occurrence of an error due to dropout and detecting multiplexing information of an object to be measure accurately.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, an interferometer of the present invention has an interference optical system for reflecting a measurement light flux from an object to be measured, reflecting a reference light flux from a reference surface, multiplexing both the reflected light fluxes so as to obtain a multiplexed light flux and obtaining an interference light flux from the multiplexed light flux. The interferometer is characterized in that wavelength selecting means, for extracting only a light flux with a specified wavelength from the multiplexed interference light flux and guiding the extracted light flux into a light receiving element, is provided on an interference light flux optical path.

[0009] Further objects and structures relating to the present invention will be clear in description of the embodiments, mentioned later.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional interference device;

[0011]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an output signal obtained in the conventional interference device;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a main section according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an output signal obtained in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0014]FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a wavelength spectrum of a multi-mode semiconductor laser to be used in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of transmitting property of a band pass filter to be used in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a main section according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0017]FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a main section according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] There will be detailed below the present invention based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0019] (First Embodiment)

[0020]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a main section of an interference device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This drawing shows the small interference device using a multi-mode semiconductor laser.

[0021] The interference device of the first embodiment uses a multi-mode semiconductor laser as light source means and divides a light flux from the laser into two light fluxes in a light transmitting member. One light flux is reflected by a reflecting surface of a reference mirror fixed to an optical head, and the other light flux is emitted to and is reflected from an object to be measured which moves or displaces. When the light fluxes are multiplexed in the transmitting member and an interference signal is obtained from the multiplexed light flux, the multiplexed flux of the measurement light flux and reference light flux is a light flux from the multi-mode semiconductor laser, and light fluxes from two regions in the multi-mode wavelength width are extracted so that two interference signals are obtained.

[0022] In FIG. 3, a laser light flux 20 a which is emitted from a multi-mode semiconductor laser (light source) 1 a for oscillating a laser beam, center wavelength of which is a wavelength λ, is converted into a parallel light flux 20 a by a collimating lens 2 a. The parallel light flux 20 a is separated into P wave and S wave by a polarized beam split surface (light dividing means) 3 b. The light flux reflected by the polarized beam splitter 3 b becomes a reference light flux 21, and transmits through a 1/4λ wavelength plate 5 a to be reflected by a reflecting mirror 4. On the other hand, the light flux which has transmitted through the polarized beam split surface 3 b transmits as a measurement light flux 22 through a 1/4λ wavelength plate 5 b and becomes a condensed light flux by means of a condenser lens 6 so as to be emitted to the object to be measured 7. At this time, the measurement light 22 is condensed on a reflecting surface 7 of the object to be measured 7 a. After the light flux 22 is reflected by the reflecting surface 7, it again passes through an optical path and is reflected by a beam split surface (light synthesizing means) 3 b. On the other hand, after the reference light flux 21 is reflected, it passes through an original optical path and transmits through the beam split surface 3 b so as to be multiplexed with the measurement light 22 and become a light flux (synthesized light flux) 23. Thereafter, the light flux 23 enters a nonpolarized beam splitter 8 and its reflected light becomes a light flux 24 and its transmitted light becomes a light flux 25.

[0023] At this time, when a power of the condenser lens 6 is set so that a condensing point 7 b of the light flux 22 on the reflecting surface 7 has the same wave optical light path length as that of the reflecting surface 4 a from which the reference light flux 21 is reflected, the interference device displays the maximum effect as an interferometer using the semiconductor laser 1 a. Namely, when a wave front is considered, a reflected light from the reflecting surface 7 of the object to be measured 7 a and a return light from the reflected light 21 from the reflecting surface 4 a as a reference light are multiplexed as a parallel light.

[0024] The light flux 24 transmits through a band pass filter (extracting means) 13 a for transmitting light having wavelength λ₁, and a transmitted light has only light having wavelength λ₁ information. Here, instead of the band pass filter, an interference filter may be used. A light flux with wavelength λ₁ transmits through a 1/4λ plate 9 a so as to become a linear polarized light, and a polarizing direction of polarization information rotates based on a displacement of the object to be measured 7 a. The light flux 24 of the rotating linear polarized light is divided by a nonpolarized beam splitter 10 a, and its transmitted light transmits through a polarizing plate 11 a and its reflected light transmits through a polarizing plate 11 b, so that they become brightness/darkness signals of the lights and the signals become electric signals by photoelectric sensors 12 a and 12 b, respectively. The electric signals obtained by the photoelectric sensors 12 a and 12 b become sine wave electric signals for 1 cycle with respect to 1/2λ₁, movement according to the movement of the object to be detected 7 a. The polarizing plates 11 a and 11 b are provided so that their polarization axes tilt 45°, and the sine signals from the photoelectric sensors 12 a and 12 b become signals, phases of which are different by 90° from each other as shown in FIG. 4 (hereinafter, A phase and B phase). In the present embodiment, a displacement (including variable magnification direction) of the reflecting surface 7 in a direction of optical axis La is obtained from the A phase and B phase signals obtained at that time.

[0025] Meanwhile, the light flux 25 which transmits through the nonpolarized beam splitter 8 transmits through a band pass filter (extracting means) 13 b for transmitting light having wavelength λ₂ and the transmitted light has only information of light having wavelength λ₂. Thereafter, the light transmits through the 1/4λ plate 9 b and is divided into two by the nonpolarized beam splitter 10 b. A light flux in one direction transmits through a polarizing plate 11 c and the other light flux transmits through a polarizing plate lid and they enter the photoelectric sensors 12 c and 12 d, respectively. Next, the electric signals become sine wave electric signals of 1 cycle with respect to 1/2λ₂ movement according to the movement of the object to be detected 7 a to the direction of optical axis La. Since the polarizing plates 11 c and lid are provided so that their polarization axes are tilted 45°, as shown in FIG. 4 the electric signals become sine signals, A1 phase and B1 phase of which are different by 90° from each other. Here, the polarized beam splitters 10 a and 10 b, the polarizing plates 11 a, 11 b, 11 c and 11 d and the like compose one element of interference mans.

[0026] Next, there will be explained below wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ to be extracted in FIG. 5.

[0027] Since the light source 1 a is a multi-mode semiconductor laser, the wavelength spectrum has a width of about 3 nm as an aggregate thin spectrum lines including a wavelength λ as a center thereof, as shown in FIG. 5. As for light which is divided by the nonpolarized beam splitter 8, the band pass filters 13 a and 13 b extract lights having wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂, respectively, but the band pass filters 13 a and 13 b are constituted so as to have characteristics for transmitting extracting regions λ11 and λ22 as shown in FIG. 6. The transmitted laser beams generate interference signals.

[0028] The interferometer of the present embodiment is set so that phases of sine signals from set two wavelengths are not the same as each other in a coherent distance range of the multi-mode semiconductor laser. Namely, when the coherent distance of the multi-mode semiconductor laser is designated by L, if λ₁×{λ₁÷(λ₂−λ₁)}/2≧L, an absolute value can be measured because sine wave phases obtained from two lights having wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ in the measuring range of a laser interference displacement meter do not become the same. Specifically, if coherent distance of the multi-mode laser 1 a is 200 μm, when center wavelengths of the multi-mode laser 1 a, λ=650 nm, λ₁=649 nm and λ₂=651 nm, the phases do not become the same in the range of the coherent distance 200 μm.

[0029] In addition, when a temperature of the light source 1 a is adjusted by temperature adjusting means such as a Peltier element, interference signals obtained from the light having wavelengths λ₁, and λ₂ can be always maintained in the same level. Further, signal levels of the photoelectric sensors 11 a, 11 b, 11 c and 11 d are monitored, and the Peltier element is fed back so that a transmitting light amount of the band pass filters 13 a and 13 b becomes the same as each other. As a result, the interference signals from the lights having wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ can have the same level.

[0030] A number of wavelength regions to be extracted by extracting means from a wavelength range of a light flux oscillated from the multi-mode semiconductor laser 1 a may be two or more, and an interference signal may be obtained by using multiplexed light fluxes from respective regions.

[0031] (Second Embodiment)

[0032]FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an interferometer (position measuring device) using a semiconductor laser according to a second embodiment of the invention. Here, in FIG. 7, the similar parts to FIGS. 1 and 3 are designated by like reference numerals.

[0033] After the laser light flux 20 a emitted from the semiconductor laser 1 a for generating a laser beam with wavelength λ₁ is converted into a parallel light flux by the collimating lens 2 a, the light flux transmits through the polarized beam split surface 3 a. Meanwhile, a semiconductor laser 1 b for generating a laser beam with wavelength λ₂ is provided so that its polarizing direction is vertical to the semiconductor laser 1 a. After the laser light flux 20 b emitted from the semiconductor laser 1 b is converted into a parallel light flux by a collimating lens 2 b, the light flux is reflected by the polarized beam split surface 3 a. The light flux which has transmitted through the polarized beam split surface 3 a and the light flux which has been reflected by the polarized beam split surface 3 a are multiplexed so as to become a light flux 20 where light fluxes having wavelength λ₁ and λ₂ coexist. Thereafter, the light flux is separated into P wave and S wave by the polarized beam split surface 3 b. Since the following operation is the same as that in the first embodiment, explanation thereof is omitted.

[0034] In the case where there considers the case where an axis with a diameter of 4 mm which rotates with axis deviation of 20 μm, for example, is measured as for a cut or a surface defect with width of 0.5 mm, when a signal dropout occurs due to a cut with width of 0.5 mm, a signal is dropped out at about {fraction (1/25)} portion of an outer periphery. This means that a reflecting surface (front surface) of the axis possibly displaces by about ±2 μm during the dropout. Namely, in this case, two wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ are set so that phases of two sine signals obtained from the two lights having wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ do not coincide with each other in a measuring range of 4 μm. As a result, even if a dropout occurs, measurement in a position of the reflecting surface of the axis can be restarted with correct value at the time of recovery from the dropout.

[0035] More specifically, when λ₁ and λ₂ are set so as to satisfy the equation (1) so that the phases of two sine signals obtained from lights having wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ do not coincide with each other in the measuring range of width 4 μm, a surface position of a rotating axis or an axis deviation can be measured accurately.

λ₁×{λ₁÷(λ₂−λ₁)}/2≧4 μm  (1)

[0036] For example, when wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ of laser beams generated from the two semiconductor lasers 1 a and 1 b are 650 nm and 680 nm, respectively, sine signals where one cycle is 650/2 =325 nm are output from the sensors 12 a and 12 b, respectively, and sine signals where one cycle is 680/2 =340 nm are output from the sensors 12 c and 12 d, respectively. “A phases” and “B phase” in FIG. 4 is one example of the output signal waveforms of the sensors 12 a and 12 b, and “A1 phase” and “B1 phase” in FIG. 4 are one example of the output waveforms of the sensors 12 c and 12 d. Since the phases of the output sine signals from the sensors 12 a and 12 b and the output sine signals from the sensors 12 c and 12 d coincide with each other about ±6 μm before, even if an axis with a diameter of 4 mm satisfies the equation (1) sufficiently and rotates with an axis deviation of 20 μm and has a cut with width of 0.5 mm, its surface position can be measured.

[0037] The above-mentioned axis measuring example is an extreme example, and in normal measurement of an axis deviation, an axis diameter is larger than 4 mm and a cut existing on the axis is narrower than 0.5 mm. Therefore, the above-mentioned setting example of wavelength can cope with measurement of a rotating axis in approximately all aspects.

[0038] As mentioned above, when two wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ are set so that the phases of two sine signals (periodic signals) obtained at the two light having wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ in a predetermined measuring range do not coincide with each other, dropout does not occur on the same places of both the two sine signals. For this reason, a surface position of an axis can be measured accurately.

[0039] (Third Embodiment)

[0040]FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration of a small interferometer using a semiconductor laser according to the present embodiment of the invention. In the drawing, the similar parts as FIGS. 1 and 3 are designated by similar reference numerals.

[0041] The laser light flux 20 a emitted from the multi-mode semiconductor laser 1 a with center wavelength λ₁ becomes a condensed light flux by means of the lens 2 a and is quided to and passes through a multi-mode fiber 30 so as to enter the lens 2 b. By using the multi-mode fiber 30, spectrum distribution of the multi-mode laser shown in FIG. 5 can be converted into smooth spectrum with Gaussian distribution. As a result, a light flux having characteristics similar to that of a single mode laser can be obtained.

[0042] Since the other operations are the same as those in the first embodiment, explanation thereof is omitted.

[0043] In addition, even if an SLED (Super Luminescence Diode) is used as a light source, the same effect can be obtained.

[0044] In addition, even if an interference film filter is a filter utilizing fiber grating, the same effect can be obtained. As for demultiplexing, in the present embodiment, wavelengths are extracted by nonpolarized beam splitter and band pass filter, but even when well known AWG (Arrayed Wave Guide) is utilized, lights with wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ can be extracted similarly. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An interferometer comprising: a first light flux split optical system for splitting a laser light flux having a plurality of wavelengths into a measurement light flux illuminating an object to be measured and a reference light flux illuminating a reference surface; a multiplexing optical system for multiplexing the reference light flux reflected by the object to be measured and the reference light flux reflected by the reference surface so as to obtain an interference signal; a wavelength selecting optical system for extracting a light flux with plural different wavelengths from the multiplexed light flux; and a photoelectric sensor for receiving a plurality of light fluxes selected by the wavelength selecting optical system and outputting a plurality of signals relating to the respective light fluxes.
 2. The interferometer according to claim 1, further comprising: a second light flux split optical system for splitting a signal multiplexed by the multiplexing optical system, wherein the wavelength selecting optical system and the photoelectric sensor are arranged correspondingly to the light flux split means.
 3. The interferometer according to claim 1, wherein the laser light flux having plural wavelengths is generated from a multi-mode semiconductor laser light source, a super luminescent diode or a plurality of laser diodes of different wavelengths.
 4. The interferometer according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength selecting optical system is an interference film filter or Bragg cell fiber grating.
 5. The interferometer according to claim 1, wherein the first light flux split optical system is a polarized beam splitter.
 6. The interferometer according to claim 1, further comprising a second light flux split optical system which is a nonpolarized beam splitter.
 7. The interferometer according to claim 1, wherein the plural signals obtained from the photoelectric sensor change periodically, and the plural different wavelengths are set so that a position where all the phases of the periodic signals coincide is not generated within a predetermined measuring range.
 8. The interferometer according to claim 7, wherein when a plurality of wavelengths of the light flux are designated by λ1 and λ₂, the wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ satisfy an equation: λ₁×{λ₁÷(λ₂−λ₁)}/2≧4 μm.
 9. The interferometer according to claim 1, wherein the plural signals obtained from the photoelectric sensor change periodically, and the plural different wavelengths are set so that a position where all the phases of the periodic signals coincide is not generated within a coherent distance of the multi-mode laser.
 10. The interferometer according to claim 1, wherein when the plural wavelengths of the light flux are designated by λ₁ and λ₂ and a coherent distance of the multi-mode later is designated by L, λ₁, λ₂ and L satisfy an equation: λ₁×{λ₁÷(λ₂−λ₁)}/2≧L.
 11. An interference position measuring device comprising: a first light flux split optical system for splitting a laser light flux having a plurality of wavelengths into a measurement light flux illuminating an object to be measured and a reference light flux illuminating a reference surface; a multiplexing optical system for multiplexing the measurement light flux reflected by the object to be measured and the reference light flux reflected by the reference surface so as to obtain an interference signal; a wavelength selecting optical system for extracting a light flux with plural different wavelengths from the multiplexed light flux; and a photoelectric sensor for receiving a plurality of light fluxes selected by the wavelength selecting optical system so as to output a plurality of signals relating to the respective light fluxes.
 12. The interference position measuring device according to claim 11, further comprising: a second light flux split optical system for splitting a signal multiplexed by the multiplexing optical system, wherein the wavelength selecting optical system and the light receiving means are provided correspondingly to the light flux split means.
 13. A machine tool or assembly device comprising an interference position measuring device which comprises: a first light flux split optical system for splitting a laser light flux having a plurality of wavelengths into a measurement light flux illuminating an object to be measured and a reference light flux illuminating a reference surface; a multiplexing optical system for multiplexing the measurement light flux reflected by the object to be measured and the reference light flux reflected by the reference surface so as to obtain an interference signal; a wavelength selecting optical system for extracting a light flux having plural different wavelengths from the multiplexed light flux; and a photoelectric sensor for receiving a plurality of light fluxes selected by the wavelength selecting optical system so as to output a plurality of signals relating to the respective light fluxes. 